Good Company: Tracy Hines Looks to Add to Win Total at Springfield & Sun Prairie

NEW CASTLE, Ind.— Aug. 15, 2013— Many drivers have won at the Illinois State Fairgrounds over the years in USAC competition, as well at Angell Park Speedway, but not too many have won at both of the historic dirt tracks. Tracy Hines is a member of a very select list of drivers that has conquered the one-mile oval in Springfield, Ill., as well as the one-third-mile bullring in Sun Prairie, Wisc. He’ll have a chance to add to his win total at each this weekend as a doubleheader awaits.

Hines hits the track in the Lightfoot Racing Beast on Saturday, Aug. 17 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series for the running of the Tony Bettenhausen 100. He then heads north to Wisconsin with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship on Sunday, Aug. 18 for an event at Angell Park Speedway.

Hines was victorious at the Illinois State Fairgrounds with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series in 2006. The 2000 series champion started on the pole on the one-mile dirt oval that afternoon and led all 100 laps. Hines has finished in the top-10 in two of his last three starts at track and was 13th last season. The veteran driver made his debut at the Springfield Mile in 1995 with the Honda USAC National Midget Series. Hines, the current Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series point leader, was victorious in the series most recent event at the Belleville High Banks in Kansas.

“After how well we ran at Belleville, we feel pretty good going into Springfield,” said Hines. “I’ve had some good runs there over the years. We were a little bit off last year, but learned a few things in that race that should help us this time around. We ran pretty good at the Indy Mile back in May, so we know we have a pretty good combination for the miles this year.”

Hines piloted the Parker Machinery Spike to a third-place finish at Angell Park Speedway in June with the Honda USAC National Midget Series, after leading 13 laps early in that A-Feature. The race was tri-sanctioned with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series and Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series. Hines won a total of seven times in 2001 and 2002 at Angell Park Speedway, including winning the Fireman’s Nationals back-to-back each of those years.

“We led quite a few laps at Sun Prairie (Angell Park Speedway) earlier this season and just came up a little short at the end,” he shared. “We’ve been near the front in our last handful of dirt midget races and really want to pick up a couple of wins before the end of the season. We’ve won on the pavement and are doing really well on that side, so all in all, we are pretty pleased with our midget program this year.”

Heading into the Tony Bettenhausen 100 for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Hines leads the series standings on the strength of one win, along with four top-five finishes in five starts. With the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship, he sits third in points, having recorded nine top-10 finishes.

“We are getting to that time of the year when we only have a couple races each week, so we definitely want to make the most of them,” Hines said. “Springfield (Illinois State Fairgrounds) and Sun Prairie (Angell Park Speedway) have been pretty good to me over the years and we head in them both with some momentum and confidence on our side.”